Procuring Fallen Animals:

Just as there are many different types of animals on this planet, there are many types of humans; some people hunt, & of course many people are vegans. The same is true for wild-dwelling people- even some Native American nations were originally vegansaccording to these two following videos byDr. Rita Lawsof theTsalagi&ChoctawNations: (scroll down for in-depth information)

While traversing the wilds, it is not uncommon to find recently-deceased animals. Knowing how to prepare a comfortable hide that will keep you warm in the winters & be soft to sleep on can be the difference between danger & survival. There is no pleather for sale in the wilderness!

There are many animals hit by cars every day in the United States- several right in your area. Rather than having the precious resources these animals bodies provided our ancestors with for thousands of years go to waste- fur being one of the most efficient insulators for outdoor comfort & safety- would be an absolute travesty.

“I had originally stopped eating cows following September 11th, 2001 in order to “bridge cultural gaps” between myself & people from India, & also stopped eating pigs as a sign of peace to Muslims & Jews. I had recently begun practicing Qigong meditation, & had gotten really into it. Following one meditation, where I was given a very clear & intense vision of my spirit body & some encounters it made during this “inward quest”, I stopped eating animal products altogether, & instead began seeking a mutually-beneficial relationship with plants. While figuring out this new way of life I was embarking on, I came across some videos on PETA.org, & also read The Vegan Sourcebook by Joanne Stepaniak; ss an impressionable child who wanted good in the world, & who learned the values ofThe Golden Rule, I actually found it heart wrenching at age 21 to learn “where the meat & dairy come from” while managing two restaurants. I didn’t appreciate how animals were being exploited & tortured in factory farms, fur farms, & in medical labs. After a lifetime of being inundated by television & magazine commercialism where talking cows, chickens, pigs, etc. who all had personalities would ironically (unbeknownst to us)advertise for the meat industry, I felt firm in my new commitment to an animal-free way of living, & again- drawing upon that Golden Rule- I thought about how is I were in the position of those animals, I would want someone “out there” to speak up for me. I ordered a 12-string guitar off Ebay, & would walk & hitchhike the USA barefoot for the next 7 years before having a shift in my thought process, instigated by meeting a wild turkey vulture & Randall White Feather, who taught me of what “Vulture Medicine” means on the Lakota Medicine Wheel.

From that point on, I realized that I could hold to my principles & also “honour the animals” by wearing them. As an artist & musician, I feel the difference when I’m wearing my gear & when I am not; there is a power within these animals when worn by a spirit who seeks to live in a good way among their wild-dwelling families. I do know fabrics from plant fiber that would sustain wild-dwelling people, but I do not know how one would live among the wild without utilizing all the parts of the animals unless they were to leave the wilderness to purchase more artificial materials. I have found that for me- I feel a strong connection with an animal that as recently passed, & when I get secondhand materials from thrift stores (leather, cashmere, silk, fur) to craft gear, I have no shame. I know that through the songs & deeds, the animals will see their honour, & that by what I have been blessed to be able to do this lifetime, so shall others get to experience oneness among the elements & creatures. I see good things coming for humanity.”